Going Wild with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant is a Signal Award-winning and chart-topping podcast currently in its third season. The series is produced by PBS’ Nature and is hosted by wildlife ecologist Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant. While Going Wild with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant is, on the surface, a nature podcast, the overall focus on how humanity interacts with nature facilitates fascinating conversations about a broad spectrum of ideas and movements.

The third season of Going Wild with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant boasts a strong array of guests including marine biologist, podcast host, and policy expert Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, National Geographic explorer Dr. Rosa Vásquez Espinoza, and The University of Colorado Boulder professor of entomology Dr. Samuel Ramsey. One of the season’s standouts, however, is Christian Cooper, host of National Geographic’s Extraordinary Birder, Marvel comics writer, and birder. The can’t-miss new episode of Going Wild with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant dives into Cooper’s life including his introduction to birdwatching and an infamous 2020 Central Park incident.

More About Christian Cooper On Going Wild With Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant

Christian Cooper’s conversation with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant explores Cooper’s passion for birdwatching but ultimately encompasses much more. Key moments of their talk include Cooper’s layered feelings about the Audubon Society’s controversial decision to keep the name of a participant in the slave trade, Cooper’s struggle to share his sexuality with his parents, and more. It’s a fascinating dive into, among other things, the ways culture shapes, facilitates, and even discourages people’s interests.

Also part of the dialogue is the Central Park birdwatching incident, an event well-known enough to warrant its own Wikipedia entry. In May 2020, Cooper crossed paths with a woman and her unleashed dog in Central Park; when Cooper asked the woman to leash her dog, the conversation escalated until the woman called the police. A dedicated advocate for the natural world, Cooper used the media attention garnered from the incident to continue raising awareness about the importance of protecting wildlife.

Christian Cooper can be heard on Going Wild with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant now on all podcast platforms. Check out episodes of the podcast here.